CVE-2004-1953 in phProfession
Summary
by MITRE
phProfession 2.5 allows remote attackers to gain sensitive information via a direct HTTP request to upload.php, which reveals the path in a PHP error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1953 affects phProfession 2.5, a web-based application that appears to be a professional or business management system. This security flaw represents a classic information disclosure vulnerability that occurs when the application fails to properly handle error conditions during file upload operations. The vulnerability specifically manifests when attackers can directly access the upload.php script through HTTP requests, causing the system to generate PHP error messages that inadvertently expose sensitive server path information to remote attackers.
This technical flaw constitutes a path disclosure vulnerability that operates through the application's error handling mechanisms rather than through direct exploitation of application logic or authentication bypasses. When the upload.php script encounters an error condition during file processing, it generates PHP error messages that contain full server paths, including directory structures and file locations. This occurs because the application does not properly sanitize or suppress error messages that would normally be displayed in development environments but are exposed in production systems. The vulnerability falls under CWE-209, which specifically addresses the exposure of error information, and represents a fundamental weakness in the application's security configuration and error handling practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposed path information provides attackers with crucial reconnaissance data that can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. The disclosed server paths can reveal directory structures, file locations, and potentially sensitive system configurations that would otherwise remain hidden from external observers. Attackers can use this information to craft more targeted attacks, identify other potential vulnerabilities in the system, or map the application's file structure for further exploitation attempts. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers the discovery of system information through path and directory enumeration, and T1213, which involves the exploitation of information disclosure vulnerabilities to gather intelligence for subsequent attacks.
The security implications of this vulnerability are significant for organizations running phProfession 2.5, as it creates an entry point for threat actors to gather intelligence about the target environment. The exposed path information can reveal the application's installation directory, which may contain sensitive information about the hosting environment, file permissions, or other system configurations. This information disclosure can be particularly damaging when combined with other vulnerabilities or when the disclosed paths contain references to configuration files, database connection details, or other sensitive components. Organizations should consider implementing proper error handling procedures, including the suppression of detailed error messages in production environments, and should regularly audit their applications for similar path disclosure vulnerabilities that could provide attackers with valuable reconnaissance data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on proper error handling implementation and security configuration management. The most effective immediate fix involves modifying the application's error handling to suppress detailed PHP error messages that contain path information, ensuring that all error conditions are properly caught and handled without exposing internal system details. Organizations should also implement proper input validation for the upload.php script, ensuring that only authorized users can access upload functionality and that all file upload operations are properly authenticated and validated. Additionally, the application should be configured to log errors internally while displaying generic error messages to users, following security best practices outlined in OWASP's secure coding guidelines and the principle of least privilege as recommended in NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar information disclosure vulnerabilities across the entire application stack and infrastructure.